1 Greetings from|strong="G0575" Paul|strong="G3972", an|strong="G2532" apostle|strong="G0652". I|strong="G2532" was|strong="G2424" chosen to|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" an|strong="G2532" apostle|strong="G0652", but|strong="G0235" not|strong="G3756" by|strong="G1223" any|strong="G3756" group or|strong="G3761" person|strong="G0444" here on|strong="G1537" earth. My|strong="G2316" authority came|strong="G1223" from|strong="G0575" none|strong="G3756" other|strong="G0846" than|strong="G2532" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547" and|strong="G2532" God|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" Father|strong="G3962", who|strong="G3588" raised|strong="G1453" Jesus|strong="G2424" from|strong="G0575" death|strong="G3498".
2 Greetings also|strong="G2532" from|strong="G2532" all|strong="G3956" those|strong="G3588" in|strong="G2532" God’s family who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3956" with|strong="G4862" me|strong="G1473".
3 I|strong="G1473" pray that|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316" our|strong="G2316" Father|strong="G3962" and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G2532" Lord|strong="G2962" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547" will|strong="G2316" be|strong="G2532" good to|strong="G2532" you|strong="G5210" and|strong="G2532" give you|strong="G5210" peace|strong="G1515".
4 Jesus|strong="G2532" gave|strong="G1325" himself|strong="G1438" for|strong="G5228" our|strong="G2316" sins|strong="G0266" to|strong="G2596" free us|strong="G1325" from|strong="G1537" this|strong="G3588" evil|strong="G4190" world|strong="G0165" we|strong="G2249" live in|strong="G2596". This|strong="G3588" is|strong="G2316" what|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" our|strong="G2316" Father|strong="G3962" wanted.
5 The|strong="G3588" glory|strong="G1391" belongs|strong="G3739" to|strong="G1519" God forever|strong="G0165" and|strong="G0165" ever|strong="G0165". Amen|strong="G0281".
6 A|strong="G3779" short time ago|strong="G0575" God chose you|strong="G5210" to|strong="G1519" follow him|strong="G2564". He|strong="G3754" chose you|strong="G5210" through|strong="G1722" his|strong="G2564" grace|strong="G5485" that|strong="G3754" came through|strong="G1722" Christ|strong="G5547". But|strong="G5485" now|strong="G1722" I|strong="G3754" am|strong="G2296" amazed|strong="G2296" that|strong="G3754" you|strong="G5210" are|strong="G3588" already turning away|strong="G0575" and|strong="G5485" believing something different|strong="G2087" from|strong="G0575" the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G2098" News|strong="G2098" we|strong="G3754" told you|strong="G5210".
7 There|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" no|strong="G3756" other|strong="G0243" message that|strong="G3739" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G1510" News|strong="G2098", but|strong="G2532" some|strong="G5100" people|strong="G1510" are|strong="G1510" confusing you|strong="G5210". They|strong="G3739" want|strong="G2309" to|strong="G2309" change the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G1510" News|strong="G2098" about|strong="G3588" Christ|strong="G5547".
8 We|strong="G2249" told you|strong="G5210" the|strong="G2532" true Good|strong="G2097" News|strong="G2097" message. So|strong="G2532" anyone|strong="G3739" who|strong="G3739" tells you|strong="G5210" a|strong="G1510" different message should|strong="G2532" be|strong="G1510" condemned—even|strong="G2532" if|strong="G1437" it’s one|strong="G3739" of|strong="G1537" us|strong="G1537" or|strong="G2228" even|strong="G2532" an|strong="G1510" angel|strong="G0032" from|strong="G1537" heaven|strong="G3772"!
9 I|strong="G3739" said|strong="G3004" this|strong="G3739" before|strong="G3844". Now|strong="G2532" I|strong="G3739" say|strong="G3004" it|strong="G3739" again|strong="G3825": You|strong="G5210" have|strong="G1510" already accepted the|strong="G2532" Good|strong="G2097" News|strong="G2097". Anyone|strong="G5100" who|strong="G3739" tells you|strong="G5210" another|strong="G3825" way|strong="G5613" to|strong="G3004" be|strong="G1510" saved should|strong="G5100" be|strong="G1510" condemned!
10 Now|strong="G0737" do|strong="G1510" you|strong="G1487" think I|strong="G1487" am|strong="G1510" trying|strong="G2212" to|strong="G2212" make|strong="G3756" people|strong="G0444" accept me|strong="G2212"? No|strong="G3756", God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G0444" I|strong="G1487" am|strong="G1510" trying|strong="G2212" to|strong="G2212" please|strong="G0700". Am|strong="G1510" I|strong="G1487" trying|strong="G2212" to|strong="G2212" please|strong="G0700" people|strong="G0444"? If|strong="G1487" I|strong="G1487" wanted|strong="G2212" to|strong="G2212" please|strong="G0700" people|strong="G0444", I|strong="G1487" would|strong="G0302" not|strong="G3756" be|strong="G1510" a|strong="G1510" servant|strong="G1401" of|strong="G2316" Christ|strong="G5547".
11 Brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G1161" sisters, I|strong="G1473" want you|strong="G5210" to|strong="G2596" know|strong="G1107" that|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G2097" News|strong="G2097" message I|strong="G1473" told you|strong="G5210" was|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" made|strong="G1107" up by|strong="G5259" anyone|strong="G0444".
12 I|strong="G1473" did|strong="G3880" not|strong="G3761" get my|strong="G3777" message from|strong="G3844" any|strong="G0444" other|strong="G0846" human|strong="G0444". The|strong="G1223" Good News is|strong="G0444" not|strong="G3761" something I|strong="G1473" learned from|strong="G3844" other|strong="G0846" people|strong="G0444". Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547" himself|strong="G0846" gave it|strong="G0846" to|strong="G0846" me|strong="G1473". He|strong="G0846" showed me|strong="G1473" the|strong="G1223" Good News that|strong="G0846" I|strong="G1473" should tell people|strong="G0444".
13 You|strong="G3754" have|strong="G2532" heard|strong="G0191" about|strong="G1722" my|strong="G1699" past life|strong="G0391" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" Jewish religion. I|strong="G2532" persecuted|strong="G1377" the|strong="G3588" church|strong="G1577" of|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316" very|strong="G0846" much. I|strong="G2532" tried to|strong="G2596" destroy|strong="G4199" his|strong="G0846" people|strong="G0846".
14 I|strong="G1473" was|strong="G3588" becoming a|strong="G2532" leader in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" Jewish religion. I|strong="G1473" did better|strong="G4183" than|strong="G4183" most|strong="G4183" other Jews my|strong="G1722" own age. I|strong="G1473" tried harder than|strong="G4183" anyone else|strong="G2532" to|strong="G2532" follow the|strong="G3588" traditions|strong="G3862" we|strong="G2532" got from|strong="G1722" our|strong="G2532" ancestors|strong="G3967".
15 But|strong="G1161" God|strong="G0846" had|strong="G3588" special plans for|strong="G1223" me|strong="G1473" even|strong="G2532" before|strong="G1537" I|strong="G1473" was|strong="G3588" born. So|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" chose me|strong="G1473" through|strong="G1223" his|strong="G0846" grace|strong="G5485".
16 It|strong="G0846" pleased him|strong="G0846" to|strong="G2443" let|strong="G2443" me|strong="G1473" see and|strong="G2532" know his|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207" so|strong="G2443" that|strong="G2443" I|strong="G1473" could tell the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G2097" News|strong="G2097" about|strong="G1722" him|strong="G0846" to|strong="G2443" the|strong="G3588" non-Jewish people|strong="G1484". I|strong="G1473" immediately|strong="G2112" prepared to|strong="G2443" do|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3588" work without|strong="G3756" asking for|strong="G1722" advice or|strong="G2532" help from|strong="G1722" anyone|strong="G0846".
17 I|strong="G1473" did|strong="G3761" not|strong="G3761" go|strong="G0565" to|strong="G1519" Jerusalem|strong="G2414" to|strong="G1519" see those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" were|strong="G3588" apostles|strong="G0652" before|strong="G4253" I|strong="G1473" was|strong="G3588". But|strong="G0235", without|strong="G2532" waiting, I|strong="G1473" went|strong="G0565" away|strong="G0565" to|strong="G1519" Arabia|strong="G0688". Later, I|strong="G1473" went|strong="G0565" back|strong="G3825" to|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" city of|strong="G0652" Damascus|strong="G1154".
18 Three|strong="G5140" years|strong="G2094" later|strong="G3326" I|strong="G2532" went|strong="G0424" to|strong="G1519" Jerusalem|strong="G2414" to|strong="G1519" meet Peter|strong="G0846". I|strong="G2532" stayed|strong="G1961" with|strong="G3326" him|strong="G0846" 15 days|strong="G2250".
19 I|strong="G1487" met|strong="G3708" no|strong="G3756" other|strong="G2087" apostles|strong="G0652"—only|strong="G1487" James|strong="G2385", the|strong="G3588" brother|strong="G0080" of|strong="G2962" the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962".
20 God|strong="G2316" knows there|strong="G1161" is|strong="G2316" nothing|strong="G3756" untrue in|strong="G2316" any|strong="G3756" of|strong="G2316" this|strong="G3588".
21 Later, I|strong="G2532" went|strong="G2064" to|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" areas of|strong="G3588" Syria|strong="G4947" and|strong="G2532" Cilicia|strong="G2791".
22 No|strong="G0050" one|strong="G3588" in|strong="G1722" any of|strong="G1577" Christ’s|strong="G5547" churches|strong="G1577" in|strong="G1722" Judea|strong="G2449" had|strong="G1510" ever met me before|strong="G1722".
23 They|strong="G3739" had|strong="G1510" only|strong="G3440" heard|strong="G0191" this|strong="G3588" about|strong="G3588" me|strong="G1473": “This|strong="G3588" man was|strong="G1510" persecuting|strong="G1377" us|strong="G2097". But|strong="G1161" now|strong="G1161" he|strong="G3739" is|strong="G1510" telling people|strong="G1510" about|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3588" same|strong="G3739" faith|strong="G4102" that|strong="G3754" he|strong="G3739" once|strong="G4218" tried to|strong="G0191" destroy|strong="G4199".”
24 These|strong="G3588" believers praised|strong="G1392" God|strong="G2316" because|strong="G1722" of|strong="G2316" me|strong="G1473".